Main Acquisition Deals in the iGaming Industry in 2020

mergers and acquisitions

These unprecendented times have been changing not only our lives but also the way lot of industries work. 

Among others, this is also the case of igaming, which is always more moving from physical to the digital world. Online casino and betting activity were already rising given the increasing adoption of mobile phones. In this new context, subsequent to the suspension of the activity of physical facilities, beyond evident losses, the industry is experiencing a mandatory shift in how people approach the gaming experience. 

What all of this means for the industry in economic terms will be seen during the next few years.

Anyways, some deals took place even during the latest months globally. Have a look at some of them.


In April. DraftKings, a Boston, MA-based digital sports entertainment and gaming company operating daily fantasy sports and mobile sports betting platforms, finally completed the business combination with SBTech (Global) Limited, an international provider of sports gaming technologies, and Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: DEAC).

At the end of June, Landcadia Holdings II,  Inc. (NASDAQ: LCA) entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc., a US online real money casino owned by Tilman Fertitta.  With the deal, expected to close in the third quarter of this year, Golden Nugger, can become the second pure publicly traded online casino company in the US. .  Upon closing, Landcadia II intends to change its name to Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc. and its Nasdaq trading symbol to GNOG. The values GNOG at approximately $745m.

Golden Nugget’s iGaming business is an established leader in New Jersey, the largest online gaming market in North America. The company has obtained market access, subject to regulatory approval, to Pennsylvania and Michigan and anticipates launching its online casino brand in each of those new markets in early 2021. 


In Europe, in May, Thimba Media, a global iGaming content marketing company, acquired casino dedicated website Casinomartini.com, its player bases, operations and staff from the Swedish based founders of the business.

Recently, Casumo, an online casino and sportsbook operator, acquired CasinoSecret, a Malta-based operator of an online gaming portfolio based on cashback features. The amount of the deal remained undisclosed.

In addition, SuperBet Group, a Romanian betting company, acquired a 60% stake in online casino business Lucky7 Ventures. Founded by Olof Örn, Magnus Petersson, and Karl Ahlberg, Lucky7 developed its multi-market operations targeting growth in Europe and the Americas. It now aims to launch a series of online casino brands across Europe in the coming months.


In South Africa, Tsogo Sun, a gaming and entertainment company, acquired a 50.1% stake in Betcoza, a sports betting land-based and online operator. Its Tsogo Sun Alternative Gaming Investments subsidiary will reportedly pay approx. USD$2.8m in cash for the stake in the company.


SciPlay Corporation (NASDAQ: SCPL) acquired Come2Play, Ltd., an Israeli based developer and manager of casual mobile games.   

Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel with additional development offices in Poltava City, Ukraine, Come2Play’s social mobile games, including Solitaire Pets Adventure and Backgammon Live, are played by casual game players from around the world.


In the Indian market, Sofia, Bulgaria-based EsseN Videri Media LTD, a lead generation and performance marketing company operating in the iGaming industry, acquired Guide2Gambling.in, a casino website which ranks and compares various online casinos. The amount of the deal remained undisclosed.

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